Sexually active senior citizens fare better mentally

Posted on April 14, 2015

A recent study of more than 1,900 older adults in the Netherlands found 42% of the respondents- mainly in their 70s - still find sex to be an essential factor in their relationships. Those who viewed their current sexuality as important and pleasant had better memory and overall cognitive function, and they processed information more quickly than those who reported the opposite, according tofindings published this month in the journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.

In fact, a healthy dose of hanky-panky is a key unifying characteristic among the world's longest-living people. Even some centenarians are still "getting it on" well into their hundreds, said Dan Buettner, longevity researcher and author of The Blue Zones. He points to Filipe Gudoy, a 104-year-old Costa Rican who, during his last health check, reported he can make whoopee and perform "with achievement."